Annual eye screening a must for diabetics

The director of Dubai Diabetes Centre has urged diabetics to have regular eye screening — as many patients come to the centre unaware they have retinal damage. "It is very important to catch this early on," said Dr Hamed Farooqi, who warns that retinal damage could lead to blindness if it is not detected and treated early enough. High blood sugar leads to the narrowing of the blood vessels and it is the tiny blood vessels such as those in the eye which are affected significantly. Diabetic eye disease can progress to a more serious level when damaged blood vessels close off and new, weaker vessels take their place. These new vessels can leak blood, which blocks vision. Article continues below Treatable But this disease can be treated with lasers to minimise vision loss and it is recommended that diabetics have an eye screening test on a yearly basis. Dr Bruno Blanchon, consultant at the centre, said that many patients are unaware of the complications they already have as a result of diabetes. "We have been consistently conducting screening for diabetic damage to the eyes and results showed that approximately one in five diabetics are unaware they already suffer from retinal damage." Dr Farooqi recommends that people should get their blood glucose checked when they go for their routine physical, especially those who have a family history of diabetes or are overweight. "People need to be pro-active [in taking care of their health]," he said.